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Having a debate with someone right now and have no clue how they are coming up with their arguments.

So which is it? If you do choose what you like and what you dislike, then this would mean being homosexual is a choice right, for example? Gays choose to like members of the same sex, according to this theory.

Do we choose which music we prefer, or is it just a natural taste that is ingrained in our character, independent of our will?

Do we choose what we like?Users may choose only one (18 total votes)

Yes. We can choose to like anything

8
44%

No, liking something is a natural part of our character/psychology

5
28%

STAL/other/mixed

5
28%

Votes accepted from (05/16/12 01:15 PM) to (05/20/12 01:15 AM)You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

If you are really interested in this question, I suggest reading this short book written in the 60's or 70's about exactly this subject. The author argues that in every interaction, we fill roles and take sides of an argument to fill these roles whether we truly believe ourselves or not. Eventually we may believe the arguments we form up by playing certain roles, however we may believe two things at once as well. I tend to agree with him, I think we all play roles and entertain thoughts and ideas that we may not necessarily hold before the conversation started.

totally depends. i hated kayaking initially. cold, wet, sore, scary, and life threatening. i kept at it anyways. now its fun in the sun baby!

other things i like without even trying to like them. for example, i like philosophy. i find it interesting to read and think about and argue about.

other things i dislike without even trying to dislike them. for example, math or chemistry. i'm just not a fan.

--------------------"Life sucks but in this really beautiful way" - Axl Rose
"Life's a bitch and then you die that's why we get high cuz you never know when you're gonna go." - NAS
"When people don't know what you're about they put you down and shut you out" - Black Sabbath
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" - Gandhi
"Look up at me I am God, look down on me and I am evil, look at me I am you." - Charles Manson.
"Don't question my reality." - Me (as far as I know)

Your idea on the outside action has already been decided. Sure, you may need to "make a decision", however the neural programming is already set up in a way that whatever reacts on you will lead to a certain decision or choice. While you as an entity may be free to process pieces of the universe into what you call free will, the act of free will itself is illusory. Even the idea of free will is a chain reaction.

Quote:Celestial Traveler said:Then why debate me and interrogate me so endlessly as to why I "choose" to like certain forms of music more than others?

Quote:PatrickKn said:If you are really interested in this question, I suggest reading this short book written in the 60's or 70's about exactly this subject. The author argues that in every interaction, we fill roles and take sides of an argument to fill these roles whether we truly believe ourselves or not. Eventually we may believe the arguments we form up by playing certain roles, however we may believe two things at once as well. I tend to agree with him, I think we all play roles and entertain thoughts and ideas that we may not necessarily hold before the conversation started.

Very well then. It is my natural role not to like something. By having less of a preference for percussive music, I am just fulfilling my natural role, which implies there is no free will, and thus no choice. Case closed.